Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A Thief In Our Midst?

This is a breaking news post, folks.

I've just had a conversation with Mary Ann, the owner of Knitter's Niche at 3026 N. Southport. Knitter's Niche isn't a big place, but it's one of Chicago's oldest yarn shops and Mary Ann is known far and wide for her deep knowledge (particularly of lace knitting), her enthusiasm, and her loveably gruff persona.

On Monday night, somebody broke into the shop and made off with $5,000 worth of yarn and, perhaps worse, eight lace stoles representing years of Mary Ann's work.

Whoever the thief or thieves are, they know the craft. With the exception of an entire shelf of inexpensive cotton, all the yarns taken were the cream of the crop, including chunky and worsted weight hand-dyed Misti Alpaca.

The finished works taken included:

a white lace stole with clematis edging

a capelet of mossy green, hand-dyed kidsilk with ribbon trim

a stole in grey-beige hand-dyed alpaca

a shoulder scarf in sage green cashmere

a stole in rose hand-dyed cashmere/silk

a stole in pink hand-dyed kidsilk

a large feather-and-fan stole in variegated red, turquoise and copper bamboo/silk

The person(s) responsible took all this–but didn't touch the cash box.

If you have any information, please get in touch with Mary Ann at (773) 472-9276.

And if you're the person who did this, I hope:

every skein of yarn you own or touch gets moths,

every finished object you've ever made gets torn to pieces, and

your fingers twist into knots so painful you can never knit, crochet or otherwise create anything ever again.

Stealing somebody's merchandise is wrong. Stealing years of someone's creativity is disgusting.

And karma, may I remind you, is a bitch.

ADDENDA: Well, you can always count on knitters for lightning-fast reaction in a crisis, eh?

Some updates and answers to FAQs. Please read them, I beg you, before you write to me. Please.

Knitter's Niche doesn't have a Web site, or I'd have linked to it.

As far as I know, there are no clear photographs of the finished pieces that were stolen. As for patterns, I think several were her own designs or heavily modified versions of other designs.

When I spoke with her, Mary Ann didn't have handy a full inventory of the stolen yarn, so I can't post one.

Mary Ann's contact number for anyone who has information is above. I don't have an e-mail for her or a Ravelry name. Honestly, I don't know that she uses either.

As I'm not the victim or the Chicago police, I really can't do more than offer the above alert in the hope that it might help. If you have information, the best thing to do is contact Mary Ann. If you don't have info, please think twice before calling unless you're looking to place and order or some such–she is still open for business and trying to wait on customers.

I know what I posted is not a detailed police report, but I'm not a cop. I did my best. Lengthy e-mails taking me to task for not meeting modern law enforcement standards in my note-taking are a waste of your time, and mine. Thanks!

Mary Ann might like to see if this theft could be featured in a 'This week on Ravelry' item to get it out there in the community so they can't be sold - or increasing the chances of identifying the thief.What a terrible thing to do. May their conscience be burdened forever.

omg, that is terrible! I know it is naive, but I like to think that knitters are more respectful of each other than that. I don't know Mary Ann but as a fellow knitter I'm sending hugs her way. I'm sorry that people would be so terrible as to steal her art and her livelihood.

i'm thinking folkloric karmic payback for offenses against the folk arts community. 1. being required to relinquish children to an evil dwarf. (from rumpelstiltskin, for the certain misreprentation of the shawls' origins - bet the thief claims credit for the work.) 2. being dipped in oil, and cursed with an ass's tail growing out of his or her forehead (for claiming undeserved 'rewards'. can't remember the name of the story.) 3. being turned to stone by the shawls (because i'm spiteful).

i wonder whether stolen fiber mightn't attract lightning.

have to also echo. yes, get it onto the ravelry front page, if casey's amenable. we'll all keep an eye peeled on etsy - and maybe on ebay as well. did mary ann file a police report? if there are any extant pictures of the pieces, it'd help chicago to keep an eye peeled as cooler weather approaches...

That is very uncool, I'd say! I know the shop and Mary Ann has helped to send me on my knitting paths in her lovingly gruff way. I hope the thief get's what is deserved. I'm shocked. I always thought knitting was just a happy place in this not so happy world.

Oh this is so disheartening. Worst fiber-related news I've heard since a local store owner had to install security cameras when the "shrink" got to be too much at her store and she discovered that it was the "sweet little old ladies" who were doing all the stealing. :(

I've been considering a nice hermit cave for awhile. I think I may start looking again.

Did they steal her copy of POK? That is something that would show up on ebay. Also it might be a good idea to keep an eye on the various swap lists (like the Yahoo group). When we had a break in at our house a few years ago, the cop looked at me like I was crazy when I said that, even thou they had taken my Palm & my digital camera, they had missed the most valuable items in my computer room - the several large bins of Colinette!

lynda the guppy may be on to something there. That fact that the items obviously would have so much personal value seems like an attack. As they say on CSI..

The percentage of jerks is pretty much constant. When the fibre community was smaller, the number of jerks was too. Also, with the expansion of the community there is less recognition member to member, like growing from a town to a city. The sucky side of success.I beleive the thief will pay sometime somewhere. They may not even connect the "payback" to this event. Might take years. But it will happen.Mary Ann has all my sympathy, but as usual that doesn't seem to help much. Dang. Now what was it Grandpa used to say? Oh yeah! "may their arseholes fester over and reopen under their armpits so they need to take off their shirts to releive themselves."

I like Carol's idea. Next week, I shall celebrate the arrival of a long-awaited paycheck by going to http://www.knittersniche.com/ and buying some bamboo yarn I certainly don't need. It won't just do me good.

OMG that is so sad. I've met lots of knitters by virtue of our blogging relationships and I've always said that you're unliikely to find an axe murderer amongst knitters/blogging knitters. After this news I think that a FO thief is worse.

I have a friend who owns a yarn shop. She made herself custom felted slippers with an extra bit of cushion for her one foot that is shorter than the other. You guess it. Someone stole them. I was reminded of the old Irish Blessing, May God Bless Those That Love Us, And Those That Don't Love Us, May He Turn Their Hearts Toward Us, And If He Cannot Turn Their Hearts, May He Turn Their Ankles, So We Will Know Them By Their Limping. I am very, very sad for her loss.

Dunno what to say, really; I could understand them getting done over for the cashbox (the village library I volunteer in has been had multiple times for the petty cash, but they've left the books) - but having your work stolen is horrible - that's just too knowing.

if she can post a list somewhere of what was taken-- I'd expect that it'd be offered on ebay or one or another of the mailing lists as stash reduction. If the community is on the lookout, then we can let her know if we see the stuff somewhere.

Wow - the world is getting sick. At our county fair this year thieves stole 3 one-week old piglets, 3 4H rabbits and a pair of origami earrings that my 9 year-old daughter made. Not quite equivalent to Mary Ann's loss, but all the victims were children who put time, effort and cash into their projects. Please, if Mary Ann has a complete inventory list with some sort of photos, post it on your blog so we can help.

That's just disgusting. Someone once stole a hand knitted by my grandmother fairisle sweater. I caught her in it a year later. It had been washed. And felted. I cried, and I wasn't even a knitter then.

I know Karma, and not only is she a bitch, but she's mean too. And has a long memory. I'm hoping MaryAnn has photos for people to put up.

My heart is a little broken. And I've never had the pleasure of visiting that shop.I'll link to your blog from mine (not that I get that much traffic... but still).May the thief's karmic reward come swiftly.And with interest... compounded by the minute!

Two of my best pieces were stolen from my lys who was displaying them as samples. Unfortunately, I bet almost any lys owner could share similar stories.Probably a very "pleasant" thief.Sorry for her loss.

Mary Ann was the person who kept me knitting when I had my first child. I mentioned that I might not be knitting much when the baby was born. She was standing there with a cigarette and an attitude and said "I had four children and kept knitting the whole time!"I am full of anger at this thief. ARGH.

I'll one-hundredth the suggestion of asking Casey to front-page it, and also the ebay and etsy suggestions. Seriously - to cherry pick like that suggests some serious inside knowledge.

I'm fairly sure that in the wheel of life that a crime like this requires you to come back as a silkworm. Or a boll weevil. I'd have to consult the authorities on that. The boll weevil may be reserved for those who mess with animals at fiber events.

By any chance does she have a record of the dye lot numbers on any of the skeins? That way if they do turn up on eBay she would have evidence that they are stolen merchandise, and might even be able to get the police to investigate further.

Ummm, Stitches Midwest starts tomorrow in the Chicago area. Is there anywhere there someone could unload that yarn and those garments without being a registered vendor? Like a swap area?

I'm sure people are watching Ebay, Craigslist and Etsy, but I'd be more worried about somebody selling quickly before word gets out. Unless, of course, it's personal, which is what it sounds like.

I agree that pictures of some of the stolen works would be helpful. I'll bet if the thief doesn't try to sell them, eventually she's gonna want to wear one of those stoles somewhere and try to pass it off as her own work.

My karma wish is that she tries it, one of us sees it and gets a picture with a cellphone, and Franklin posts it on his blog. Then she can get carpal tunnel in jail.

I am sick at the thought! Bad Karma indeed...I hope every needle that SOB has is broken and or lost, that dyes run, yarns knot, and more, oh so much more....and that he/she has a heart and at least returns the knitted items intact and in good shape. Better not let other knitters find the asshole!

She should probably start checking places like ebay so see if someone is selling them - that kind of work could probably fetch quite a price. Bastards. It seems to be happening a lot recently as well. I hope she gets them back, though.

OMG, makes me want to grab my Adamas, my Kiri, and my Heartland and hide them! Hide them quick! But the angels that watch over knitters will protect her work, I know. Her beloveds will turn up again, no worse for the adventure. They MUST.

I'm clutching my Highland Triangle a bit closer today...HOW DARE THEY?Thanks for the info, Franklin! I second all the wishes of bad karma RA...that's what my specific wish is - may the thief's fingers become gelatinous "flippers" that won't process much of anything...(((hugs)))

OMG. Words fail me, and that is not something that happens very often!

In addition to etsy and Ravelry, could somebody contact the Arts editor at the biggest Chicagopaper(s) and have them do an article? Knitters will read the ebay and stuff, but put this before the general public also.

All the cuss words and references to karma in the comments? Yeah. Me too.

It may not, necessarily, have been a knitter if she puts price tags on the yarn. It's pretty easy to quickly glance down and see a skein for $4 vs a skein for $20. Though they'd have to be someone who was at least slightly conversant in the cost of fibre to have even made the heist in the first place. Either the friend or acquaintance of a knitter.

Not much better than a knitter, but...just sayin. This is...ironic...that this happened right after I get told by my home insurance that they won't insure my fibre even though I have thousands of dollars worth. I hope her insurance will fully cover the loss of the inventory - though there is no way to give her back years worth of effort that went into the stolen pieces.

I will spread the news to my friends and family in the Chicago area to keep their ears to the ground and hope these bastids get what's coming to 'em.

That makes me sick! She is such a nice woman and always willing to help in any way that she can. I've also personally seen most of the finished works that were stolen and they were breathtaking. I hope they find who did this and punish them severely. And I'm with you on the karmic curses. I'll add my thought power to yours and maybe it will work.

Unfathomonable that someone could sink this low. Even worse to think it is a "knitter" who knows the time and love that goes into each piece of knitting. I hope this crime is solved and the perpetrator brought to justice.

This is very disturbing. Somehow, I naively came to think of my fellow knitters as people who share the same values and ethics as I. This shows how wrong I was. I wonder what makes a person so desperate to steal such a large amount of yarn and someone else's hard work.

Kudos to you for reporting this theft, especially of the handmade items. Unfortunately, without photos, only Mary Ann (or possibly some of her customers) will be able to identify the items should they be offered for sale online on sites such as eBay. But . . . you never know!

I've posted this in several Ravelry groups. Hopefully it will reach as many Chicago dwellers as possible. ;_;

Is there a mailing address so we can send her stuff? You know, help her re-stock? I couldn't think of a better way to help someone and help de-stash at the same time. I don't have Misti Alpacha, but I'll send what I do have.

First, may the worst Karma humans have known befall the person(s) involved. Second, I hope Mary Ann will search the webs sites where people sell their wares. She may find her things there. One can hope.

jannedoe brought up an interesting point. What would be helpful to Mary Ann? I don't know if yarn that's been in my stash would be useful to her - however well I may have kept it - but certainly some of it came from my purchases there. Her shop is in one of the neighborhoods where I have a long, long history. I would want to help my neighbor!

It is true , Karma is a Bitch and that is why they don't need your wishes for moth and worse . I hope that they enjoy the harvest of their evil action.Because as you know if we enjoy a negative thought, word or action then Karma is not a Bitch...no, it turns into a Pack of Bitches......we really don't need to get involved; Karma takes care of things in ways we cannot even imagine.....jejeje..

What an awful thing. I think you were very canny to put up an alert post to knitters who might be able to watch out for some of the things. I hope the creep or creeps is/are caught. Perhaps it's the same person who took Clara Parkes's shawl in Maryland (I think that's where it was.)

I am not surprised... This happened to me last year at Rhinebeck (2007). I had a shawl stolen off my arm. It was entrelac & I had spent MONTHS knitting it... It is hard to believe that people who understand the hard work involved can actually STEAL it... sad... so sad...

Ouch, ouch, ouch. My sympathies to Mary Ann. I'm glad that others suggested watching ebay and etsy, but may I also suggest someone contact the second hand stores, vintage clothing, and arts/crafts consignment places also if possible? I'm new to the blog, and really enjoying it.

How horrible for Mary Ann and her shop. Hers was the second shop in Chicagoland I ever stepped foot inside of (the first being the now-closed Yarn Boutique that was on the 3400 N block of Halsted, right at ground zero! LOL).

My favorite memory of my first visit was of Mary Ann out front, leaning against the buliding and smoking. As we entered the store, she said to ask her if we had any questions, and that she'd be back inside after she finished her ciggie. Bwahahah!

And yeah, I hope for removal of fingers for the culprits--by pliers, one by one

Thanks for all the support. I'm trying to see if there are some pictures. Most of the shawls taken were done in the last year so I'm not sure there are any pictures. My digital camera went haywire but I have the memory card and am going to see if the ones taken were photographed.

I've been chacking ebay, Craigslist and etsy. The hardest part is that those shawls were 20% of the shawls that I'd be showing at the East Lakeview Art show. I'm knitting as fast as my 10 fingers will go but there is no way I'll be able to complete more than the 2I'm working on right now.

However I do want to thank everyone for the support they have shown me and my shop.

It's too bad - yarn is replaceable, and insured, but the shawls aren't - but I guess the lesson is that knitters are people just like everyone else. Whether they deserve to have their hands crippled by carpal tunnels, I am not so sure. If, indeed, 'karma is a bitch', we should all be sincerely pitying them.

I am so saddened to hear about the situation. I was horrified to hear that someone would break into a store and do that.

I couldn't believe that someone would steal from Rhinebeck. But this is even worse.

I wish Mary Ann had pics so anyone local and beyond could keep an eye out for these items. It is truly discouraging that anyone would steal someone's hard work & time when they had an understanding of the craft.

A post on Canspin (Canadian Spinners chat group) noted a lace shawl was for sale on Esty for a ridiculous low price - can you identify it? I don't really know what Esty is - but perhaps someone who can identify the shawls does?

What is wrong with people? When they catch them, they should take them out behind the dumpster and beat the crap out of them! I am fervently praying that everything is found and returned in good condition soon!

I don't think, however, that she is lovably gruff. She's downright rude to crocheters, and she gave me inaccurate advice on crochet (on so many occasions I decided to never return to her shop). Basically, her advice was that crochet is bad and it's impossible to crochet clothing.

So, again - what happened to her is horrible. But let's not saint her simply because someone stole from her.

and to the people who call on Karma... well, if you believe in it so much, is it possible that Mary Ann had something coming her way? I don't think either is the case (that Mary Ann had bad karma OR that the person who stole from her now does), but I don't know how one separates the two when one DOES call on "karma"...?

Our home was broken into last year-while we were home. The theft from the yarn shop is wierdly more upsetting. While the thief took my husband's computer and my smart phone, it was sad. I heard something at 3am, ran down to the kitchen in my undies and there were coldcuts at the kitchen table and a chair pulled out. The back door was closing as I got to the kitchen. Sad, but fancy shawl stealing gives me such an angry feeling- not neccessary.

Now that just takes the cake! When you have to steal yarn. Come on now! I hope the yarn thief is caught! Maybe the police need to check that on-line selling site that is so popular that begins with an "E" to see if anything has been posted. May the yarn Gods retaliation be severe.

Oh such a shame! I remember how I felt when someone stole my headphones, I can't imagine how she felt to have all that yarn and the years of knitted projects taken. Especially to know it was obviously a fellow yarn lover.

stealing has been the sad side of mankind for centuries... that it should be so meaningless, selfish and greedy is another story. this is a good reason to take the time to use a camera to document what you have and to help others SEE what it is and what it looks like. the thief will get their "just due" eventually but in the meanwhile... my condolences to Mary Ann. i hope she will stay busy and forget this miserable event. "good deeds will wipe away the bad, and GOOD thoughts keeps a tidy mind"

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